Who Makes the Best Parkas?

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Lostboy:
http://www.haglofs.se/ They are doing some test marketing in Canada and are not available in the USA but they are a Swedish company that makes really great gear...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally posted by Too Steep: "That is some really nice looking stuff. Any idea if HAGLOFS gear is available in Vancouver anywhere?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I think so.
You can find out where by contacting them at

TEL: +46 226-67 000
FAX: +46 226-571 59
or,
E-MAIL: haglofs@haglofs.se

Campmore always has some good deals, yes. I think the best Jacket I ever owned was made by Boulder Gear. Still got it after all these years. Held up the best. There are so many good systems out there. I think i've got at least five different brands and they're all nice, warm and keep me dry. My Patrol jacket is made by North Face.

I have to go with TNF. Almost all of my trekking, and outer wear is TNF simply because they make great funcional gear. As one that has a fetish with outerwear, I've gone through alot of jackets in the past couple of years. I still return to my NTF (6 yrs old) mountaineer shell. Light weight, waterproof, simple and bomber construction and protection. This coat has seen it all from daily wear, BC camping, lift access skiing. Have tried HH, Columbia, and Phenix and always come back to my TNF. Will really miss it when its days come to an end . For price and features when the time comes, I will most likley replace it with a MEC shell. Just like TNF; simple, functional and great price to boot. An experiance with MEC and thier warrenties? Great thread.

artimus,

I've bought a number of MEC products (ski and cycling clothing). I live in Seattle and go to Vancouver frequently, and tend to shop less at REI and more at MEC. The exchange rate is really favorable to paying in US $'s. Their clothing is simple, durable, functional and I haven't yet had to deal with them on warranties, but if the experience is anything like REI in the states, I'll have no problems.

Another Canadian brand to consider is Sierra Designs.

I've used a great deal of their equipment, from tents to the Goretex shell that I currrently use, and every one has been of high quality, and can be found at "reasonable" prices.

Surprisingly, you have all missed the boat.

The BEST = Arcteryx.

EMS stuff is great and now every vest/jacket from now on will zip into their shells so that everythings compatible!

my thoughts/opinions, from many years of buying outdoor gear, working at a ski shop, and working at an REI store...

in order of cost (estimated/perceived)

Columbia - inexpensive but loaded with gadgets, feature names, and other stuff that really adds nothing to the performance. Weak stitching, inferior materials.

Moonstone - the price of Columbia, the quality of higher brands. A great value.

the house brand - REI's Switchback anorack and parka are outstanding values, especially the ones with Gore XCR fabric. MEC (Canada's equivalent to REI) also sells fantastic in-house stuff -- their Bernoulli shells & pants are almost laughably inexpensive for what they deliver. REI has a "no questions asked" return policy. I have heard that MEC's is about the same, but I don't know.

Helly Hansen - about equal in price to Moonstone, with proprietary Helly-Tech fabric it's about the best bargain available. Their styles are a bit gaudy, though.

Marmot - a bit more expensive, but a lot more technical refinement. They've been making rugged outdoor stuff for over 25 years. Great customer service, too. The Marmot MemBrain proprietary fabric isn't too bad, but I go with GoreTex.

Patagonia - with the "outdoor lifestyle" role-playing adopted by Yuppies throughout the late 80s and the whole 90s, this brand got named "Patagucci" for its status-symbol position in the technical outdoor wear arena. What's funny is that it's nothing like Gucci -- there is incredible quality in Patagonia gear, constant innovation, and phenomenal customer service. Wear it, trash it, return it if it breaks, and they treat you properly. Their only downfall is using H2No coating, which is about as non-breathable as possible, even though they say it's breathable. Beware the H2No equipped versions.

Mountain Hardware and Arc'teryx - extremely overpriced gear commonly worn only by those with either a bro/brah prodeal hookup, or those with more money than common sense. I'm definitely not a fan. I don't see the quality that ought to accompany the hefty price.

[ November 18, 2002, 04:42 PM: Message edited by: gonzostrike ]

-----------------------------------------------
Helly comes in both shell, and lightly insulated. My ski school is just a shell, and I wouldn't want any more in the southern climes I'm from. My personal jacket is the "lightly" insulated, and I wear very little under it. When it's really cold I put a fleece on over my t-neck (not cotton!) and I'm toasty. With all the vents Helly has, you can lighten, or warm the stuff reasonably affectively.